How Sargassum Can Be Stopped Before It Reaches the Shore
Masses of sargassum are washing up on Caribbean beaches,
hurting tourism, ravaging ecosystems, and overwhelming beaches. In Cancún,
previously pristine beaches are covered in the large brown seaweed that usually
floats in the ocean.
So, what can be done?
The first step in controlling sargassum is to understand
where it is coming from, why the bloom is so large, and how to prevent it from
coming ashore to rot.
Predicting Sargassum Blooms
As sargassum blooms and creeps toward shorelines, it’s only
natural to wonder how much will be coming in the next few months.
The University of
South Florida Optical Oceanography Lab’s Satellite-based Sargassum Watch System
(SaWS) offers insight into how much, where, and when the sargassum is coming. This
program uses satellite data and numerical models to detect and track sargassum
as it moves.
SaWS recently released
its sargassum outlookbulletin for June and some information about the coming months. The
bulletin confirmed the high amount of sargassum beaching in the Caribbean, as
well as large amounts in the central west Atlantic Ocean and the eastern Gulf
of Mexico.
While the estimated sargassum this year is less than was
recorded in 2018, which saw more than 20 million metric tons, the total
estimated amount this year is supposed to be greater than 10 million metric
tons, which is greater than 2015’s sargassum conditions.
Sargassum Watch System at a Glance:
- Large amounts of sargassum are predicted for July and August in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
- This year’s sargassum bloom is the second highest recorded year for the same month.
- Total estimated amount of sargassum is greater than 10 million metric tons so far this year.
The exact amount of sargassum present on beaches will be
determined by ocean tides, circulations, and winds. As mentioned above, the
sargassum watch system is an estimation, not a direct prediction.
Caribbean Beaches Struggling with Sargassum
Recently, Mexico
enlisted its Navy to remove the
sargassum from some of its beaches and water using heavy machinery. The
government hoped this would be cost-efficient, but despite its best efforts the problem may have only gotten worse.
Because of this intense sargassum build-up in the Caribbean,
representatives from several countries gathered on June 27 in Cancún to
discuss strategies to combat sargassum on Caribbean beaches.
Some of the Caribbean countries in attendance:
- Mexico
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- The Dominican Republic
- Jamaica
- Trinidad and Tobago
Officials met not to solve the sargassum problem outright,
but to collaborate between each other to better coordinate solutions.
Typical, But Ineffective, Methods of Sargassum Control
A typical method of sargassum control is to remove it
directly from the beaches, but this has its problems. Simply removing the
sargassum from the Caribbean shorelines, either by hand or with costly equipment
that needs to be maintained, is a tedious, short-term task, rather than a
long-term solution.
When you remove it from the beach, you must have a
designated area, away from the public, where you can dispose of it due to its
corrosive, toxic nature when it decomposes.
Rotting sargassum problems:
- Emits toxic, corrosive gas
- Attracts invasive insects
- Destabilizes beaches, causing erosion
Unlike other
sargassum clean-up methods, a floating containment boom can last awhile and
doesn’t require multiple clean-up attempts. This solution meets the sargassum
where it exists—in the water.
A Good Solution:Stop Sargassum from Coming Onshore
An effective solution for sargassum control is to stop it while
it is still mobile and floating in the water.
Sargassum floats
because its berry-like pneumatocysts are filled with air and provide buoyancy
on the surface of the water in rafts. Floating rafts of sargassum provide
needed habitats for fish, turtles, crabs, and birds.
Sargassum itself is not bad, but problems arise when it
grows at an exponential rate as a result of nutrient-rich waters from
fertilizer runoff and pollution. If the sargassum is creeping onshore in
exponential amounts before it can sink, containing it away from shore is the
best solution.
Cost effective solutions to controlling sargassum include using
a floating containment boom, also
called a floating barrier. These floating barriers contain:
- Trash
- Debris
- Seaweed
Using a permanent barrier, that won’t allow sargassum to
wash over it and requires minimal attention, will keep more sargassum away from
the shore for a longer period of time. A permanent barrier is a great solutionfor resorts and hotels, who want to keep their beachfronts clean for guests
and swimmers.
Keeping the beaches clean is essential for hotels and
businesses around Quintana Roo and Playa del Carmen to survive. For Cancún,
Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos, Tulum, Cozumel, and Isla Mujeres, tourism is
at stake with the invasion of sargassum.
Floating Seaweed Barrier
The benefits of a floating
seaweed barrier are abundant. For one, they keep sargassum away from beach
goers. Once installed, floating barriers need inspections twice a week or after
intense weather.
As sargassum is contained in the barrier, the beach stays
clean, and the need for widespread cleanup is eliminated.
Working to remove
sargassum from pristine beaches, and ensuring that it doesn’t come back,
requires the right tools. The Orion Aquatic Plantand Containment Boom from GEI Works deflects and diverts sargassum from
shorelines all while effectively containing it.
Inspect your sargassum containment boom to make sure that is
performing at its highest level. Twice a week, check the boom, connections,
lines, and buoys for functionality. Also, remove any build-up of sargassum that
could threaten the boom.
The best practices for keeping and maintaininga sargassum containment boom can be simple.
Contact GEI Works to
receive help and to discuss your sargassum issues at +1-772-646-0597.
No comments:
Post a Comment